


Be My Friday Night

by themacerlife



Series: Grease and Leather [2]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Cheryl gets into an actual fight with Nick, Domestic Fluff, Established Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, Protective Cheryl Blossom, Protective Toni Topaz, Romantic Fluff, Soft Cheryl Blossom, Soft Toni Topaz, Southside Serpent Cheryl Blossom, Southside Serpent Toni Topaz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:35:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23860912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themacerlife/pseuds/themacerlife
Summary: Another work in the same world as "Be My Saturday Night." Serpent leader Toni Topaz is dealing with her own internal battle as Cheryl, quite literally, battles Nick St. Clair in front of the Serpents. Cheryl is a lawyer, Toni is protective and the two are hopelessly in love.
Relationships: Cheryl Blossom & Toni Topaz, Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz
Series: Grease and Leather [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1719499
Comments: 6
Kudos: 101





	Be My Friday Night

**Author's Note:**

> Riverdale should do a Serpent spin-off. Sign my imaginary petition! Light warnings in this for cursing, mild depictions of violence and some light angst between Cheryl and Toni. I got a little carried away with this one. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

Toni didn’t smoke often, but on days like this she often searched for a cigarette to help calm herself down. The weekend had passed without a break in the frigid arctic air that had descended upon Riverdale and the skies looked like they were ready to open up and dump a foot of snow on the small town. 

_ Great _ , Toni scoffed to herself. Another snowstorm where her Serpent family would have to ride it out around bonfires and within the thin walls of old trailers that did little to keep the heat in. 

That was one of her most pressing projects and, unfortunately, it was one that took time. The Serpents would hold fundraisers as frequently as they could and they were all putting small cuts of their paychecks into a larger pot that was used as an emergency fund but there were too many leather covered greased-up families in her gang for Toni to properly care for them all. 

Taking one more drag from her cigarette, Toni tossed it to the ground and snuffed it out with her worn black boot. She tugged her plain black leather jacket tighter around her body and leaned against her motorcycle as she watched the hoity-toities of the Northside strut past her on the crowded sidewalks. It was almost 5 o’clock and rush hour was about to begin. 

She received more than one disapproving look as Toni waited outside the only courthouse in Riverdale and while she was tempted to say ‘screw it’ and get the fuck out of the cold, Toni was here for a reason. 

All these Northsiders could suck it. 

Well, all but one. 

Toni caught a flash of red hair and red heels inside the courthouse’s glass doors and she straightened up, ready to complete her mission for the day: pick her girlfriend up and take her to dinner. 

The large clock at the town square slid into position to represent 5 o’clock exactly and like some sort of cartoon movie, the courthouse doors swung open and a flood of well dressed adults came rushing out. 

Again, Toni received some scowls and frowns but she ignored them. If she got caught socking a Northsider in the mouth, there would be little anyone, even her girlfriend, go do. 

Cheryl Blossom was known all over Riverdale, on both the North  _ and  _ South sides of town. 

On the Southside, she was known as the Serpent Queen’s girlfriend, helping to take care of the band of misfits. 

On this side of the tracks, however, she was feared for being one of the most intimidating lawyers Riverdale had ever seen. Few on the Northside knew about Cheryl’s escapades on the ‘wrong side of the tracks’ and Cheryl planned to keep it that way. She preferred defending Serpents under the guise of righting a past wrong or helping the helpless. No one had to know these were her friends and family. Revealing such information would only make her job harder, hence Toni’s choice of the plain jacket today. 

As the crowd thinned out, Toni felt her heart swell at the sight of her girlfriend. Per usual, Cheryl was multitasking, giving her assistant last minute reminders, offering advice to one of her interns and saying goodbye for the day to her work wife, Veronica Lodge. 

...and she was entertaining a man Toni had never seen before. 

His hair was slicked back, but not in the familiar way of the Serpents. His suit looked like it was a size too small and the watch on his wrist could probably buy half of the Serpent territory. Cheryl had yet to notice Toni as her coworkers dispersed and Cheryl was left with just this stranger. 

She was smiling at him but Toni recognized it as her girlfriend’s polite, ‘I’m so over this conversation’ smile. The man, however, was much more interested in whatever he was rambling about and he kept shifting closer to Cheryl, not quite crossing the line where Toni knew Cheryl would slip on her own figurative Serpent jacket and deck him into the next week. 

Slipping her hand into her right pocket, Toni felt her favorite set of brass knuckles and smirked. If Cheryl needed it, the Serpent Queen would be ready to defend her girl. One glance at the heavy pointed piece of metal and this newcomer would likely go running. 

...or pull an assault charge out of his back pocket and Toni would be positively fucked. 

With a less than subtle huff, Toni impatiently pushed herself off her bike and began making her way towards her girlfriend. She’s been without Cheryl’s presence for almost nine hours and she  _ missed _ the redhead. 

As she got closer, she could hear Cheryl’s attempt at ending the conversation but the man seemed oblivious to Cheryl’s subtleties. 

“... tell your mother I said ‘hello,’ okay? She will be so pleased to hear we’ve met. Maybe we can do lunch this week?” 

Learning of this man’s connection to Cheryl’s family made her stop in her tracks, much to the dismay of a hurried businessman with an overstuffed briefcase who had to side-step around Toni. 

Cheryl wasn’t necessarily close with her mother, and her father had passed away many years ago. Her twin brother, Jason, had gotten married right after high school and now, with five children, wasn’t around much. 

That was much of the extent that Toni knew about Cheryl’s past, something neither of them felt a need to bring up. Cheryl was fiercely independent. 

One thing that Toni couldn’t ignore, however, is Cheryl’s extensive wealth. The young woman had inherited  _ a lot _ from her father, not to mention her sizable paycheck flowing in each month from her budding career. 

They were night and day when it came to finances and it had yet to cause serious relationship troubles but Toni couldn’t fight the insecurities that occasionally bubbled up when she remembered she barely had enough under her mattress to survive more than a few weeks. 

Who was this guy? Did Cheryl’s family send him? He’s probably rich… always has been and always will be… 

“TT! My love! I missed you.” 

Toni’s inner turmoil was interrupted by Cheryl’s sweet voice and she barely noticed the strange man had left before she was being pulled into Cheryl’s arms and bright red lips were pressed against her own. 

Cheryl gently cupped Toni’s cheek and smiled softly, “Are you alright, TT? You look a little frazzled.” 

“Uh, yeah. I’m alright. Hey, baby.” 

Toni pressed another kiss to Cheryl’s lips and murmured, “Are you hungry?” 

“Yes, I am. I believe I was promised a date, after all.” 

With a wink, Toni led Cheryl to her bike, grateful that the redhead had worn a pantsuit today. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

That night, the two lay huddled under multiple blankets in their apartment. Well, technically Cheryl paid most of the rent each month… 

Toni bit her lip to stop a groan from escaping her mouth and possibly waking Cheryl who had fallen asleep a while ago, snuggled into Toni’s warm body. The Serpent Queen, however, was wide awake. She couldn’t stop her whirling thoughts. 

At dinner, she had asked Cheryl about the man and the redhead had brushed it off as some distant family friend who was working a case in town. She was incredibly uninterested in the topic and had quickly moved on but Toni was stuck. 

This ‘family friend’ had probably never been arrested, he definitely never sold drugs and he could probably pay for the engagement ring Cheryl deserves… 

Some panic rose in her stomach and Toni began untangling herself from Cheryl. Her girlfriend hardly stirred and Toni slipped a robe over her pajamas, making her way over to the balcony windows. A few snowflakes were falling as ice grew on the window panes. 

She didn’t know how much time passed but Toni stood there long enough to bring herself to tears, so afraid of losing the positively best thing that had ever happened to her. She was in charge of a gang, not a law firm or a million dollar corporation...

Slim arms wrapped around her shoulders and Toni felt herself being pulled back to rest against Cheryl’s chest. 

Soft, bare lips pressed against her temple before Cheryl whispered, “What’s the matter, babe?”

“Just Serpent stuff, Cher. Nothing to worry about it.” 

Cheryl gently bit the shell of her ear and offered a teasing squeeze, “You’re lying.” 

Toni sighed, “It’s not something we need to talk about now. Let’s go back to bed.” 

“Not if you’re just going to leave me alone in a cold bed again.” 

After gently turning the Serpent around to face her, Cheryl pouted, “Please, TT? Talk to me.” 

“Ugh, if the guys ever heard about how easily that pout gets me to give in…” 

Cheryl laughed, “They’ll never have to find out… on one condition.” 

“And what’s that, Miss Blossom?” 

“Kiss me.” 

Toni sighed, “If I must,” but smiled as she snaked her arms around Cheryl’s neck and pulled their bodies flush together, placing a sweet kiss on Cheryl’s lips. Neither pulled away, however, exchanging loving and languid kisses until they were breathless. 

Cheryl pressed their foreheads together and murmured, “Toni, what’s wrong?” 

She was absolutely powerless to the soft tone of Cheryl’s voice and the way her arms held Toni so tightly. 

“It’s stupid.” 

“I doubt that.” 

“I love you.” 

“I love you too… now stop stalling.” 

Toni  _ finally  _ released a groan and all but collapsed into a nearby armchair, whining like a young child. 

“I’m so broke, Cher.” 

Cheryl frowned as she knelt down in front of Toni and gently scratched up and down the Serpent’s flannel-covered thighs. 

“You’re really not, TT. You’ve been doing an amazing job of saving your earnings from the Wyrm. And the Serpents have more money than they’ve seen in years.” 

Toni was silent for a moment before she leaned forward and grasped Cheryl’s hands, her beautiful brown eyes full of desperation and  _ fear _ .

“I will never be able to buy you fancy gifts or take you on exotic vacations if I stay the Serpent Queen. I can’t provide you with a big house and huge bouquets of flowers just because. You deserve those things, Cher, and unless I hand over the Serpents, I won’t have the time to get a degree and get one of those jobs that give you those things.” 

Cheryl offered a soft smile as she cradled Toni’s face, massaging her neck in a comforting way. 

“Antoinette Topaz, if you think that I need those things to be happy, then you don’t know me at all.” 

“But that’s what you’re used to! That’s what people like that priss-ass from earlier can give you! People that your family would have approved of, people who make six figures just by breathing.” 

Recognition flashed across Cheryl’s eyes as she stood and climbed onto Toni’s lap, straddling her girlfriend and kissing her soundly. 

“I knew you were jealous,” she mumbled against Toni’s lips. 

The Serpent scoffed, “Of him? No. Of what he can give you? ...maybe.” 

Cheryl cooed, “TT, I love you. I don’t need anything but you and your heart to be happy, alright? And I know that having you means having the Serpents. It means late nights and bar fights and endless legal battles but I signed up for that years ago.” 

Toni tried to respond but Cheryl gently shook her head and kept going. She needed Toni to understand.

“I make enough money to care for the both of us when it comes to a roof over our heads and food in our bellies but who protects us? Who brought real joy into my life for the first time in years? Who has given me unconditional love? Who am I going to marry one day?” 

It wasn’t the first time they had talked about getting married but every time they did, Toni felt her heart begin to burst with affection for the redhead. 

“Cher… I just love you so much.” 

“I love you more, TT.” 

Toni pushed herself up and wrapped her arms around Cheryl in a big bear hug. Cheryl squealed a little, afraid of falling backwards but Toni’s grip on her was strong. As she cradled Toni’s head to her chest, Cheryl mumbled, “Are we alright, Toni? Are you alright?” 

She sighed but Toni grounded herself with the beautiful smell of Cheryl’s body lotion, the warmth of her skin and the consistent beat of her heart. 

“Yeah, Cher, we’re alright. I’m sorry for getting so worked up.” 

“Nonsense, my love. Just take me back to bed and I’ll help you forget we even had this conversation.” 

The slight drop in Cheryl’s voice had Toni pushing herself to her feet with Cheryl’s body wrapped around hers and rushing back to their bed. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

Over the next few weeks, Cheryl had agreed to have lunch with the family friend, more for her business’s sake than her own. His name is Nick St. Clair and when Toni learned of this tidbit of information, she had snorted and mumbled something about it being a ‘little bitch name’. 

When Cheryl found out she was going to be standing on the opposite side of the courtroom from Nick, she thought little of it. After all, her closing rate was high and Nick was from a different county. He didn’t have the same connections she did. 

Toni had spent little energy worried about this newcomer. After Cheryl’s reassurances and Toni’s own personal daily reminder that Cheryl always came home to  _ her _ , the Serpent leader felt much more confident in her role as Cheryl’s girlfriend. She even started putting aside a small bit of her occasional paycheck from the Wyrm to begin saving for a diamond ring. 

Everything felt right and they made it through the heart of another winter without too much trouble. Toni spent her days with the gang and Cheryl spent hers in the courtroom, returning each night to each other. 

Until one night, Toni was hanging out at the Wyrm waiting for Cheryl. Her girlfriend was running late but that happened often when the lawyer was in the midst of a big case. Court hearings were unpredictable. She wasn’t worried. 

One of the bouncers called out, “Topaz!” 

Toni turned and the bouncer motioned her over. She sauntered over, assuming there was a drunk Serpent lingering outside but when she drew closer and noticed the worried look on his face she picked up her pace. 

“What’s going on?” 

“Your girl is outside. She didn’t want to come in and asked for you. It looks like she’s been crying.” 

Toni barely heard the end as she rushed out the door. 

“Cheryl?!” 

It was still early so there wasn’t a line outside and Toni quickly noticed Cheryl pacing toward the end of the front wall. Toni ran over to meet her. 

“Cher, babe, what’s going on? Are you alright?” 

She immediately noticed the tear tracks on Cheryl’s cheeks and the red mark on her temple. 

“Toni…” 

“What happened?” 

She struggled to reel in her Serpent Queen voice as Cheryl wrapped her arms around herself and pleaded, “Don’t freak out.” 

“I can’t promise that, Cher. You know that.” 

Cheryl sucked in a shaky breath and reached out for Toni’s hand, her arm… whatever she could grab first.

“After court today, Nick wanted to meet to talk about a plea deal.” 

Toni already knew where this was going and she struggled to stay calm. 

“He followed me to my office and at first everything was normal but when I refused his deal, he got angry. He tried to use our family history as leverage but I stood my ground. Then he started throwing things and he cornered me and I tried to shove him away but he grabbed my arms and pressed me against the wall and I kicked him. He tried to slap me but I dodged it and ran out. He got me with a book end on the way out.” 

She reached up to rub at the red mark and Toni was positively fuming at this point. 

That  _ dickhead  _ hurt Cheryl. He threatened her and if Cheryl wasn’t so goddamn stubborn, he could have done a lot worse. 

The Serpent leader suddenly had a desire for blood but Cheryl began to cry again and sobbed, “Toni, I just want to go home. Please? My first thought was getting to you and now I’m here so please can we go home?” 

“Cher, this prick hurt you. I can’t let that slide.” 

“And you can handle it later. I just want to go home.” 

Toni had to take a deep breath to calm the rage within her and once she did, the overwhelming need to take care of the love of her life managed to take over and Toni pulled Cheryl into her strong arms. 

“This never should have happened to you, Cher. I’m sorry. But I’m so proud of you for fighting back. I’m going to take you home, alright? I’ll take care of you and then, tomorrow, the Serpents will deal with that bastard. Come on.” 

She pressed a few kisses to Cheryl’s forehead and cheeks then laced their fingers together. 

After some serious loving for her girlfriend, Toni Topaz was going to  _ murder _ Nick St. Clair. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

Once home, Toni made a show of locking the doors and doing sweeps of every room they entered. She knew no one was in their home but her protective instincts were running high and she wanted to silently prove to Cheryl that she would keep her from any more harm. 

After a quick shower for the redhead, she settled in between Toni’s legs, resting her back against Toni’s chest. Toni wrapped one arm around Cheryl’s waist while her other hand brushed gently up and down the faint bruise on Cheryl’s arm. 

Cheryl turned on the television, looking for a distraction while Toni pressed soft kisses on her neck and jaw. 

“You should press charges, baby. He deserves jail time.” 

“He is powerful, TT. If I press charges, he will dig into my life. He’ll find out about you and the Serpents and blame any marks on some ‘gang related activity.’ He’ll expose me to the entire legal field and my reputation will be ruined.” 

Toni brushed Cheryl’s hair aside and rested her chin on her shoulder. Of course Cheryl had already thought this through. 

“Then you’re going to let the Serpents handle this, right?” 

Cheryl grasped both of Toni’s hands, laced their fingers together and gently squeezed. 

“You need to be careful with this one, TT…” 

“I always am. So is that a yes?” 

Cheryl craned her neck back so she could look at Toni and smirked, “It’s a yes and I know just how to get him to show his face.” 

Toni smiled. Her girlfriend was intelligent  _ and _ tough. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

Cheryl had sent Nick an email asking to meet at the Whyte Wyrm to discuss what had happened. She claimed she had changed her mind about the plea deal and wanted to meet somewhere without prying eyes and ears. 

Of course, Nick was unaware of who owned the Wyrm when he agreed. He was oblivious to the numerous greasy gang members hiding weapons in their pockets and boots who had heard what this man did to their Red Queen. 

Toni had instructed any Serpent present not to attack unless things got out of control. Only a few were allowed to act. She had asked Cheryl to stay home but her girlfriend refused. This was her fight too. As always, Toni gave in easily. 

They waited in the bar and Toni could tell the Serpents were on edge, always ready for a fight. She kept a stern look on her face, however, keeping them in line. Until, of course, she would turn to Cheryl to press her lips to the lawyer’s knuckles. Those notorious ‘heart eyes’ her friends teased her about would return. 

A Serpent at the door whistled once, alerting the crowd to the arrival of their target. Toni kissed Cheryl once before pushing her gently towards the back and turning to the door, ready to look the bastard in the eyes. 

Nick stepped through the door, a smug look on his face, followed by a few other men also dressed in expensive suits. 

They made their way further into the bar and Nick noticed Toni staring at him. 

“Hey there, sweet thing. I’m looking for Cheryl Blossom. Is she around?” 

Toni stepped closer and shrugged, “Sorry, don’t know of her. Is there something you need?” 

“Just have some business to finish up. We’ll wait.” 

He turned to speak to his friends, “Told you she wouldn’t show. She’s a spoiled bitch. Always has been, always will be.” 

Suddenly, Toni saw red. 

She hated this feeling. A raw, consuming rage that had erupted so suddenly it almost knocked her over. It was as if she could only see through a blood-red lens and every muscle in her body had one goal: retaliation. 

Her right hand made a fist and reared back, thrusting forward with all the power her body could gather and landed it right to Nick’s jaw. His head snapped back and his body followed, but the man recovered quickly and got back to his feet. 

“You little bitch!” 

He lunged forward, reaching for Toni’s neck but her reflexes allowed her to easily avoid him as Serpents pounced on Nick and his buddies. 

Fangs, one of Toni’s closest friends, was desperate to help but he was recovering from a bad break in a few of his ribs and was hardly able to breathe, much less fight. Besides, it shouldn’t take long for the Serpents to easily cause some damage and remove the intruders from the premises. 

What worried him, however, was the look in Toni’s eyes. He hadn’t seen it often but the anger that was blazing through was terrifying when it did make an appearance. He watched Toni successfully get Nick to the ground and she threw herself onto him, pounding her fists into his face over and over. 

She wouldn’t kill him. Fangs knew Toni had an instinct that allowed her to push everything to the edge without tumbling over, including defending her girl and her family. 

Her fellow Serpents, Sweet Pea specifically, pulled her off way before they normally would but Nick had the ability to inflict serious legal harm on the gang and they needed to stop while they were somewhat ahead. 

“Get the fuck out of my bar!” Toni cried. 

Nick climbed to his feet and wiped some blood from his face. “You have no idea who you just pissed off, you piece of trailer trash!” 

Sweet Pea held Toni back as she hissed, “I know exactly who you are! You assaulted an innocent woman and think you can get away with it!” 

Nick’s eyes widened, “You’re the girlfriend Cheryl keeps talking about. Wow, just wait until the legal world hears about what Cheryl Blossom has been doing in her free time: hanging around a bunch of low-lifes.” 

Toni growled, “You won’t say shit because the moment you do, we’ll be back and next time, we won’t be so nice. You’re not from here, you don’t know what kind of power we hold around this town. You’ll disappear and no one will know.” 

As if on cue, more Serpents stepped threateningly forward, some with weapons drawn. 

Sweet Pea noticed the look of fear and hesitation in Nick’s eyes and tossed Toni aside, ordering her to cool off as the others gathered Nick and his goonies and escorted them outside. 

“I’m fine, Sweet Pea!” 

“No, you’re not. You crossed a line, Tiny. We agreed we weren’t going to touch him and you just beat the shit out of him! He can come back with a hundred cops and have us all arrested now!” 

“I had to defend her! I had to protect her! I will  _ always  _ protect her. You know that!” 

Sweet Pea took an angry step forward, “And you just put the entire gang at risk! Now get out of here. We’ll handle clean up.” 

Not many would get away with talking to the Queen like that but Sweet Pea and Toni had been through enough together, suffered enough growing up that the two had an unsaid level of shared respect. 

Fangs watched Toni make a beeline for the bar where she snatched the closest dish rag and began wiping her hands on it. After tossing it to the ground, she turned and Fangs could pinpoint the exact moment she made eye contact with Cheryl. 

The redhead had found a place to watch on the small stage where one too many Serpents had tumbled off during drunken performances of their favorite songs. 

An irresistible force brought Toni to Cheryl, who hopped down from the stage and held her arms open for the Serpent Queen to fall into. Cheryl buried her face in Toni’s shoulder and Fangs chose that moment to look away. 

Whatever they whispered to each other, whatever loving caresses were exchanged were private. After any altercation, Toni sought the comfort of her girlfriend’s arms, using Cheryl’s presence as a source of balance and strength. 

Counting to 30 in his head, Toni’s voice rang out over the bar right on time and Fangs smiled. 

“Serpents, listen up!” 

His best friend was meant for this. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

What Fangs didn’t know was how needy and possessive Toni became after incidents like that. 

Once everything calmed down and Toni ensured the bar was taken care of for the night, she hurried home with Cheryl by her side. Toni needed a shower, a drink and some serious loving from her girlfriend. 

By now, Cheryl knew this and she already had the shower running by the time Toni made her way back from the kitchen, two glasses of wine in her hands. 

Toni handed Cheryl a glass before hopping onto the countertop and taking a sip of her own. Cheryl placed her glass down behind Toni and began gently untangling some of the small braids Toni had created in her hair that morning. Meanwhile, a greedy hand slid down Cheryl’s back and landed on her bum. 

“Are you going to let me leave for work on time tomorrow?” 

Toni gently slapped Cheryl’s backside and snorted into her wine, “You love when I make you late.” 

“Hmm, that may be but normally when it follows a brawl, I’m late because I’m worried about you.” 

“You don’t have to worry about me, Cher. I’m fine, just tired.” 

Cheryl’s phone rang, blasting through the calm and cozy atmosphere being created in the steamy bathroom. 

Toni’s immediate reaction was to pull Cheryl closer and reach for her boot where a pocket knife was often hiding. The redhead offered Toni a knowing look as she kissed the Serpent’s forehead and reached for her phone to decline the call. 

“Ugh, fine, I’m a little wired after things like this but it’s because this time, you were directly threatened and… the thought of something happening to you is, well, it’s my biggest fear, babe.” 

Cheryl chose to respond to Toni’s loving words with a searing kiss. Her phone rang again and Cheryl released Toni’s lips to murmur, “Your fierce need to protect me is one of the many things I love about you, Toni Topaz. Now, excuse me while I kill whoever is trying to reach me.” 

Toni laughed and hopped off the counter, stripping off her clothes and stepping into the shower. Cheryl answered her phone as she reached for the button on her jeans, “Cheryl Blossom. This better be important.” 

The room was silent, aside from the noises of Toni’s shower until Cheryl gasped, “Is everyone okay?” 

Toni popped her head out from behind the curtain and watched her girlfriend’s nervous face. 

“I see. Alright. Thank you. Yes, I’ll tell her. Goodnight.” 

“Babe?” 

But Cheryl stayed silent until she was naked and standing under the hot water with Toni. She pressed their bodies together, leaning heavily on Toni to support herself and ensure the Serpent wouldn’t go storming off when she heard the news Cheryl had just received. 

“St. Clair returned to the Wyrm after we left. He brought more backup and weapons. Fortunately, the boys were able to keep it under control, especially when they saw you weren’t there.” 

Toni snaked her strong arms around Cheryl’s thin waist and squeezed. “He isn’t going to hurt you again, babe. I promise.” 

“Did you not hear what I just said, TT? He is looking for  _ you _ .” 

“Let him. I can take down his white ass faster than he can dial his lawyer’s number.” 

Cheryl wrapped her arms around Toni’s neck and rested their foreheads together. 

“Please don’t do anything stupid tomorrow while I’m at work.” 

Toni ran her fingers up and down Cheryl’s wet back and kissed her lips. 

“I won’t. I’ll deal with that scumbag when we have our next Serpent meeting. I was actually hoping I could come with you? I want to try to get a meeting with the mayor to talk about getting some funding to get the Serpents back into the economy of Riverdale.” 

“You, my love, never cease to amaze me.” 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

The following evening, Toni was repeatedly pressing an iron bar against her chest and back into the air in the little makeshift gym they created in their apartment. Cheryl sat on the ground nearby, fixing any chips she found in her nailpolish. 

Toni did her best to stay in shape as her role as Serpent leader required frequent fights and restraints. The effect her workouts (and her defined muscles) had on Cheryl was an added bonus. 

Just as she placed the bar back onto it’s hooks, Cheryl spoke up. 

“TT?” 

“Oh boy, I know that voice.” 

Toni sat up and reached for a soft towel as she twisted to face her girlfriend. 

Cheryl pouted, “No you don’t.” 

“Yes I do, babe. Now tell me what you want.” 

Placing the lid back on her nailpolish, Cheryl frowned, “What I  _ want _ is for you to hurry up and be done so we can take a shower and catch up on our show.” 

Toni tossed her sweaty towel at the redhead and laughed, “I’ll take a shower when you stop bullshitting me.” 

As she wrinkled her nose and pushed the towel aside, Cheryl sighed, “You can’t get mad at me.” 

“Never, babe.” 

“I want to fight.” 

Toni’s brow furrowed as she frowned, “Fight what?” 

“Do not play dumb with me, Toni Topaz. I want to fight, in a duel. I want to take St. Clair down once and for all.” 

Cheryl had barely finished her sentence before Toni was shaking her head and pushing herself to her feet. “No, absolutely not.” 

“Toni, please!” 

“I will not risk you getting injured, Cher! We’ve talked about this before. You could lose your job, you could lose everything you’ve worked your whole life for! And I will not sit and watch some lowlife bring harm to you.” 

Cheryl reached out to grab Toni’s hand and pull her onto the bench closest to her. “Toni, I want to defend our family. I want to remind the Serpents what I’m capable of… I’ve fought before!” 

“You’ve fought when you’ve had backup and the other party was sloppy drunk. If you participated in a duel, babe, no one is allowed to help you. It’s Serpent law.” 

“Which is exactly why I want to do it. It’s Serpent  _ law  _ that when I win, St. Clair is banned from our lands forever, punishable by death.” 

Toni grabbed both of Cheryl’s hands, careful of the fresh nailpolish and held them in her lap, brushing her thumbs over the smooth, unscarred skin. 

Cheryl, as always, read the internal battle within her and pushed herself onto her knees, cupping Toni’s cheek. “He has threatened our  _ family _ , TT, because of me. I need to do this.” 

With a frustrated sigh, Toni had to look away from Cheryl’s big brown eyes. “I don’t know, babe…” 

“I’ll work with the boys to freshen up my skills. If he pulls anything dirty, I’ll have weapons hidden nearby.” 

The Serpent leader still wasn’t sold so Cheryl had to utilize some old-school tactics. Grasping Toni’s chin with her fingers, Cheryl pulled her down for a lingering kiss that ended with an affectionate brush of their noses. 

As soon as Toni’s eyes opened, Cheryl murmured, “The moment it goes wrong, you can step in and the duel will be nulled, alright? And you have my permission to do your absolute worst, my love.” 

Finally, Toni smiled and she grabbed the back of Cheryl’s neck, pulling her in for another kiss. 

Cheryl hummed into Toni’s mouth as she wrapped her arms around Toni’s shoulders and pulled herself up to straddle Toni’s lap. The Serpent pulled away, breathless and winked at her girlfriend, “If you’re going to do this, it’s your turn to hit the weights.” 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

While Cheryl never did lift any weights (she preferred cardio, after all), she did begin training regularly with Sweet Pea, Fangs and Jughead. Toni was more than capable of preparing her girlfriend but the boys (and Cheryl) insisted she was too soft on Cheryl. 

An invitation was sent to Nick with clear instructions that no weapons were permitted.The expectations of what the winner received were also clearly spelled out. 

If Cheryl won, he left Riverdale forever with no charges pressed against the Serpents. If Nick won, he could do whatever he wanted in regards to legal processes. 

He quickly accepted and the date was set for the following Friday night. The Serpents and Nick’s crew would meet in a clearing in the woods, a place the Serpents knew well. Most of their duels and dirty work were done nearby. Nick’s ignorance of this fact played to their advantage, too. 

Toni became especially protective and possessive as the duel approached. She drove Cheryl to work and back, took her on dates, brought her to the Whyte Wyrm to sit during shifts and become incredibly affectionate while in the privacy of their home. 

Outside, however, Toni was grumpy and harsh. She was ordering people around and making rash decisions, obviously using her role as leader to hash out her inner turmoil. Could anyone blame her? The literal love of her life was risking serious bodily harm, even death, in a few days and there was nothing Toni could do to stop it. 

If they called off the duel, Nick would keep showing up and causing trouble. But if Cheryl fought and something horrible happened, Toni would never be able to forgive herself for agreeing to this in the first place. She should be the one fighting, not Cheryl. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

“TT, I think you’ve polished just about every nut and bolt on your bike three times. Can we please go get something to eat? I’m starving.” 

The two Serpents had spent a sunny afternoon in their garage cleaning and tuning up their bikes and Cheryl’s old red impala. By now, the deep winter chill was starting to loosen its hold and when the sun was shining, they were able to be outside in sweatshirts and jeans. 

Cheryl had quickly grown bored, however, and had sprawled out on their old couch they had yet to get rid of and was now living in the corner of the spacious garage. 

She had let Toni have the day to do what she needed to keep her mind off the looming duel but now the redhead was not only bored but  _ hungry _ . 

“Just let me grease up the thrusters and buff the seats, babe.” 

Cheryl whined, “TT, please. Your girlfriend is hungry and you’re going to just sit there while I wither away to nothing?” 

Toni rolled her eyes but a small smile did appear on her face and Cheryl stood, knowing she had won. 

“I’ll go get my wallet and your jacket.” 

They decided to take the car to dinner and Cheryl barely paid attention when Toni got a phone call. Being the leader of a gang meant she got calls at all hours of the day, after all, but when Toni’s voice became deeper and thoroughly pissed off, Cheryl began listening. 

“No, that will take way too much time… I don’t care! He fucked up so he’s out. Call me back when you decide to get a brain in your fucking skull.” 

She hung up the phone and slammed her fist against the dashboard. 

Cheryl jumped but quickly reached over and took Toni’s hand in hers. 

“What was that about?” 

“Nothing!” Toni snapped. 

Cheryl immediately pulled over and put the car in park. 

“Get out of the car.” 

“What? No, Cher, just drive.” 

“Get out!” 

She climbed out and slammed the door, storming over to the passenger side as Toni sluggishly got out of the car and leaned against it. 

Even with her casual clothes and a makeup free face, Cheryl looked just as threatening and terrifying as she did in the courtroom but Toni was hardly affected. 

“I understand that you are under a lot of stress right now, Toni, and I get that you need to pull the ‘bad guy’ voice on the Serpents but you do  _ not _ get to take this all out on me. I’ve let you spend hours in the gym or the garage or anywhere but with me and I’ve let you push the Serpents around like they are nothing more than servants to you. But when you start to push family away, when you start to push  _ me _ away, I just can’t accept that. I deserve more than that.” 

She felt her hands begin the shake with the anger coursing through her body. Toni refused to look at her and shoved her hands in her pockets. 

“Toni,  _ please _ . Talk to me! Just look at me, dammit!” 

There were a few long moments where the only sounds were passing cars and a distant siren. Cheryl thought Toni wasn’t going to do anything until she turned her head and when they made eye contact, Toni’s eyes were filled with tears. 

Cheryl instantly rushed forward and pulled Toni into a hug, holding her girlfriend close as the Serpent leader began to openly sob. Now, they were both shaking and Cheryl considered moving them back into the car to warm up but Toni pulled away and wiped at her cheeks. 

“I’m so sorry, Cher. I’m sorry. I know I’ve been treating you like shit and I know I’ve been hard on the Serpents but I just… I feel so out of control. All day, all I can feel is anger and frustration and  _ fear _ ! Every time I close my eyes all I see is your dead body on the ground. I see that stupid bastard walking away with the Serpents and I’m left with nothing. You and the Serpents are my entire life! Without you I have  _ nothing _ !” 

Toni was quickly losing control as her voice cracked and her tears flowed down her cheeks and Cheryl shushed her, pulling her back into her arms and murmuring softly to try and calm Toni down. 

“Take deep breaths, TT. I’m not going anywhere. You aren’t losing anything. Shh, I’m here.” 

“I need you, babe. I need you in my life. I never thought I would find someone who loves me so unconditionally, who loves me through all the shit I have to do. Someone who loves me even though I’m the leader of a gang? It always felt like a dream, something I would never actually find.” 

Toni’s voice was suddenly very calm and quiet as she spoke and Cheryl felt her stomach flutter at the sincerity in her girlfriend’s words. 

“TT, what you seem to forget is that I need you too. Every single time you have to fight or defend the Serpents, I’m absolutely terrified. I feel like I can’t breathe properly until it’s over. But I’ve had to learn how to be alright with that because that’s part of who you are and I love who you are. I always have and I always will.” 

Again, they were quiet for a moment then Cheryl felt a soft kiss on her neck and Toni stood upright once more. 

“I guess I need to learn to be alright with you fighting too, then.” 

“You don’t have to be alright with it but you can’t let it dictate your life, love.” 

Toni reached out and gently cradled Cheryl’s face, brushing her thumbs across the redhead’s jaw. 

“I’m sorry, Cher. For snapping at you, shutting you out, neglecting you… I’m sorry for all of it.” 

Cheryl slid her hands under the hem of Toni’s sweatshirt and tugged Toni close once more to press their lips together. They shared a few languid kisses until a large truck passed and made both of them jump. Bursting into a fit of giggles, the two lovers shared one more quick kiss before Toni turned and opened the car door. 

“For you, m’lady. I’m treating you to dinner and a movie then taking you home, laying you down and loving you right.” 

Cheryl crooned, “That sounds amazing, my dear, but I get to pick the restaurant, the film and who gets to be on top,” and got into the car. 

Toni laughed, “I’d expect nothing less,” and carefully shut the door. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

Leading up to the night of the duel, Toni did a better job of controlling her emotions. She apologized to a few Serpents who she had gotten carried away with and she tried to open up to Cheryl more often to avoid snapping at the woman again. 

On Thursday night, Cheryl and Toni pushed and pulled against each other until they were thoroughly exhausted, finally able to fall asleep and wound together so tightly, they were like one entity. 

Cheryl insisted on going to work on Friday, knowing she would go crazy if she had to sit around all day waiting for the inevitable. Afterwards, she met Toni at home to change into some dark jeans, a light gray t-shirt and her red Serpent jacket. 

They headed straight for the Whyte Wyrm to hang out with the Serpents and prepare for the battle. Toni could sense the energy buzzing throughout her gang. She tried to ignore it, knowing it would only fuel her anxiety and she subconsciously tugged Cheryl’s hand a little closer to her chest. 

“I’m not going to ask if you’re okay, TT, but what’s going on in here, huh?” Cheryl pressed a kiss to Toni’s temple and used her free hand to gently scratch behind Toni’s ear. 

“You already know, Cher. Just getting antsy, I guess. I want this over.” 

“You and me both, my love.” 

The two stayed wrapped up in each other against the bartop until Sweet Pea and Fangs showed up. 

“Hey, Tiny, we got the clearing secured and cleaned up. A few cars and bikes are in position to provide lighting.” 

Toni nodded, “We’ve got about an hour now. I’m going to do some quick announcements then we will head out. Thanks, guys.” 

Sweet Pea and Fangs stepped aside and Toni placed a soft kiss on Cheryl’s cheek before climbing onto the bar. 

“Attention, Serpents!” 

She waited a moment for the bar to quiet down then continued, “Tonight, our Red Queen will lead a duel. We all know how this works! Not a single Serpent steps into the circle at any cost! The moment someone interferes, the deal is broken and we will have a very serious legal battle ahead of us, got it? We don’t know this guy but we know he isn’t afraid to play dirty. If you spot a weapon or any tricks from him or his goonies, whistle once and loud. Got it? Now, let’s give one cheer for Cheryl who is not afraid to fight for our family!” 

The bar erupted and Cheryl stood tall, as if absorbing the sound. 

Toni had to smile at it too. She was, as always, proud of her family. 

“Serpents, let’s ride!” 

The crowd made their way on motorbike and on foot to the clearing they knew well. The space was used for both internal and external battles. They arrived early, ready to wait and provide a foreboding presence for Nick to stumble upon. 

The sun was rapidly setting and the dark woods around them were like a dense curtain. Slowly, car and bike lights were turned on to illuminate the clearing. 

When they heard distant car engines, Toni murmured, “Every single Serpent is armed with something, Cher. The moment it goes wrong, they know that I’m getting you out of here and they are going to  _ destroy _ these pricks. Got it?” 

Cheryl nodded, not taking her eyes off the path where she knew Nick was going to arrive. 

“Hey, babe, look at me.” 

Toni gently turned Cheryl to face her and she placed her hands on either side of Cheryl’s neck. Her thumbs brushed under the redhead’s jaw. 

“Cher, you’ve got this. You’re strong and you’re smart. You’ve trained for this and that bastard has his head so far up his own ass that you’ll have him on the ground before he can blink.” 

The engines got louder and Cheryl nodded, “I’ve got this. And, I’ve got you.” 

Toni smiled, “Yeah, you do. You’ve got the knife in your boot, right?” 

“Yes. I’m ready, TT.” 

“Okay. I love you.” 

“I love you more.” 

The two turned to face the path, hands joined at their sides and waited as a few cars appeared in the path, drawing closer to the clearing. 

Multiple men got out of each one and assessed the situation as Nick got out of the front one and slipped some leather gloves on his hands. 

“Wow, you small town hicks sure know how to put on a show. I applaud the effort you have gone through to try and intimidate me, Miss Blossom. We could have settled this weeks ago. All you needed to do was agree to my deal.” 

Cheryl squeezed Toni’s hand once before letting go and stepping into the circle. 

“Your deal was laughable, St. Clair, and you know it. You’re trying to get your numbers up so the district hires you because you’re an embarrassment for a defense attorney. Then, you  _ assaulted  _ me that’s why we are here.” 

Nick stepped into the clearing too, a twisted smirk still on his face. 

“Then let’s get this over with. I have plans in the Maldives this weekend. Although, I must admit. I was so looking forward to finishing this mess by facing your little plaything once more. She is quite feisty.” 

Cheryl charged forward and hissed, “Leave her out of this. This is between you and me.” 

Nick laughed, “Looks I found the formidable Cheryl Blossom’s weakness. I’ll be sure to spread this piece of information around the judicial system. Cheryl Blossom, shacking up with trailer trash. How many of these gangbangers have you gotten off the hook to make sure you have someone to keep your bed warm at night?” 

By now, Cheryl was  _ livid _ and she slipped her jacket off, tossing it to the edge of the clearing where Fangs stood and easily caught it. 

“Enough, Nick. We’re ending this now. When I win, you leave Riverdale. You never show your face around here again. And, you do not press a single charge against me or the Serpents. If you do, I will tell the district attorney about our little altercation and you will never practice again. I’m not afraid.” 

Nick rolled his shoulders and crooned, “Game on.” 

Cheryl stood still, albeit ready for action, as Nick stalked closer. The moment she saw one of his hands move, she reacted quickly and kicked out, hitting him directly in the kneecap. Nick groaned and bent over to grasp his knee and Cheryl grabbed his head, bringing it down on her own knee. 

The Serpents cheered as Nick stumbled back, holding his head. 

Cheryl’s actions, however, enraged the man and he charged at her. The two began exchanging blows and Toni watched helplessly from the side. 

The crowd was constantly cheering and yelling at the two and Nick managed to get Cheryl to the ground but the Serpent rammed her shin into his crotch and pushed him off. 

Sweet Pea nudged Toni, “She looks good out there. She’s a fighter.” 

Toni ignored him, too engrossed in the fight. 

Slowly, Nick seemed to be wearing down and Toni felt just a moment of hope. All Cheryl needed to do was get Nick to the ground and hold him for 10 seconds. That’s it. 

Then a whistle pierced the crowd and Toni saw the familiar glint of a blade Nick must have hidden in his sleeve. Her instincts pushed her forward but Sweet Pea held her back. 

“Not yet. Cheryl saw it.” 

Toni looked to her girlfriend and Cheryl was wiping sweat and some blood from her lip as she growled, “We said no weapons.” 

“And I like to do things a little differently. Get down, stay down and this will all be over.” 

Cheryl paused for a moment, throwing a glance to the side where Toni stood. She began to slowly kneel down and Toni watched with bated breath. 

Before either of her knees touched the ground, however, her hand slipped into her boot and she launched her own blade at Nick’s thigh. His thick jeans only did so much as the sharp object lodged itself in the outside of his leg. 

He crumpled to the ground and Cheryl was quick to pounce on him. She wrestled his arms under her knees and snatched his blade away from him. 

Placing the metal against his throat, Cheryl hissed, “Make a single move and I slit your throat. In 10 seconds I win, Nick. You’ve made a fool of yourself. You were defeated by a woman. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… I’ve won.” 

Cheryl shoved his head sideways, slipped his knife into her pocket and stood. 

Loud enough for the now hushed crowd to hear, Cheryl smirked, “Get off our land.” 

The Serpents cheered and hollered, storming the clearing, and Toni headed straight for her girlfriend. She wrapped Cheryl up and spun her around, throwing a victorious fist in the air. 

Cheryl wrapped an arm around Toni’s shoulder and leaned heavily against her. “TT…” 

“I know, Cher. We’ll get you patched up. Sweet Pea! Take our best and escort these gentlemen to their vehicles. Looks like Nicky here may need some first aid.” 

Toni murmured, “Come on, baby. They’ll handle the rest of this. We’re going home.” 

“No, I want to go to the bar. I want to celebrate.” 

“Babe, you’re wincing with every step.” 

“I just need some ice. Please, TT?” 

Fangs appeared and cheered, “We’re going to live it up tonight! In honor of our Red Queen!” 

More Serpents hollered, Cheryl pouted and Toni groaned, “Fine. We stay for one hour, then you’re going home.” 

Cheryl positively beamed and pressed a kiss to Toni’s cheek. 

Gently, Toni got Cheryl into the car, back to the Wyrm and into the back room. She gently sat the redhead on an old barstool and dug through some cabinets. Being part of a gang meant first aid was a frequent task. She found some alcohol wipes and gently cleaned Cheryl’s new cuts. Even through the sting, Cheryl was strong. 

They were silent as Toni cleaned off some dirt and the dried blood. She placed a soft kiss near each injury then reached for the hem of Cheryl’s shirt. 

“He kicked you in your ribs, didn’t he?” 

Cheryl nodded and groaned as she lifted her shirt up.

“Let’s just take it off, baby. You’ve got blood on it anyway.” 

Toni helped Cheryl slide the shirt off and cracked an ice pack over her knee to activate it. 

She pressed it against the already bruising skin and sighed, “They’re probably fractured. It will hurt for a while but they’ll heal on their own.” 

Cheryl placed her hand over Toni’s to help hold it there and murmured, “TT? Are you proud of me?” 

“Oh, Cher, I’m always proud of you. What you did tonight was incredible. I’ve never loved you more.” 

The redhead used her free hand to tug on Toni’s jacket, “But?” 

Toni sighed, “But… if you ever do something like this again, you’ll have to fight me after. I never want to sit through something like that ever again. Got it?” 

Cheryl smiled, “I won’t make any promises. After all, I am a queen. I can do what I want.” 

Toni rolled her eyes, “And I’m also a queen which means we’ll just have to duel it out the old-fashioned way.” 

Her voice dropped and she leaned forward which made Cheryl smirk and lean in as well. However, just as their lips met, Cheryl gasped in pain and Toni gently sat her upright. 

“Alright, my  _ queen _ . It’s time for you to sit still and let this ice do its job.” 

The two sat and discussed what had just happened as they heard the chaos in the bar grow louder. Eventually, Cheryl began to shiver and Toni grabbed the flannel that had been tied around her waist. She helped Cheryl slip into it and button the soft material. 

“Toni, I love you.” 

“I love you more, baby.” 

“It’s over.” 

“Yeah, it is.” 

“Does this mean I get my soft cuddly girlfriend back?” 

Toni shook her head with a smile as she brushed their noses together. 

“No, Cher, this means you get your hot badass biker chick back.” 

Cheryl laughed lightly, trying not to hurt her ribs as Toni reached into her jacket pocket. 

“Also, I don’t want you to get your girlfriend back. I want you to have a fiancée.” 

She pulled out a plain gold band and reached for Cheryl’s hand. 

“I’m saving up to buy you a real one but I just couldn’t wait any longer, Cher. Maybe it’s adrenaline, I don’t know. I do know that I love you and I want to spend forever with you. I’ll save up for a ring then I’ll save up for the wedding of your dreams. So please, Cheryl Blossom, do me the honor of becoming my wife.” 

Tears were streaming down Cheryl’s cheeks as she frantically nodded and pulled Toni in for a searing kiss. Fractured ribs be damned. 

She could barely separate their lips long enough to all but squeal, “Yes! Yes, TT, yes!” 

Some loud knocks on the door startled the two and Toni helped Cheryl stand. 

Toni walked backwards towards the door, pulling Cheryl along. With a wink, she began to press the door open to face their family, “Come on, Cher. We have two things to celebrate tonight.” 


End file.
